Hunter Pence has the air of a kid who has snuck onto the field. When his name was spoken in low tones by Joe Buck during the opening ceremonies, Pence awkwardly halted after moving to doff his cap, and when he finally gave himself the go ahead to offer the same simple gesture that many before him had, his hand shook like he was giving the 8th grade valedictorian speech.

Having clandestinely entered the field of play in the 4th, Pence quickly pegged wunderkind Jose Bautista at the plate. As he trotted to the dugout, with his magical mystery necklace jangling, he grinned some more.

Against C.J. Wilson in the bottom of the inning, Tim McCarver and Joe Buck were full of praise. “It’s not always pretty,” said a somnambulic Buck. “He’s the complete player,” whispered McCarver.

As Joe Buck broke the odd news that Miguel Cabrera left the game hurt, Pence drove a single between shortstop and third base. As if showcasing the Hunter Pence Brand of Baseball, he sprinted to third base from first on a passed ball by catcher Matt Wieters.

Individual moments are the bricks that the All-Star Game is built from, and the lone Astros representative had his share.

Hunter Pence is a singular player, with a style of his own–as singular as if it was born in isolation, on a distant–from his batting stance to his throwing motion. Hunter Pence is an All-Star.

Second Chance Lance

Watching a svelt and beaming Big Puma grin his way down the introductory line, I smiled. Watching him hit a 2nd inning line drive so square you could level a shelf with it, I sighed.